A blog for the people who manage, coordinate, and supervise volunteers. Chock-full of useful information to help you create amazing volunteer programs.
Posted By Helen Lin, Youth Auditor,
September 15, 2016
Updated: September 14, 2016
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Whether they are the front-line and driving force of your organization, or they play an integral role in putting smiles on your seniors’ faces, engaging high school volunteers can be a challenge. But it doesn’t have to be!
Helen Lin - Youth Audtior
For our August Subscriber Circle on “Engaging Youth Volunteers” we asked high school student and Volunteer Toronto Youth Auditor Helen Lin to attend and offer her perspective to the discussion.
Here’s Helen’s thoughts on three of the main questions discussed at the circle.
Question 1: Some of my volunteers come intermittently, how can I get them to maintain regular shifts?
Helen’s Observation: Two volunteer managers shared that they do not sign any papers until the volunteer has reached the minimum commitment that they signed up for. I think it is certainly acceptable to be strict with your no-show policies, but attendance and punctuality can also be enforced by letting your volunteers know how important their work is to the organization.
Question 2: How can I convince volunteers to stay beyond their 40-hour mark?
Helen’s Observation: There are two types of volunteers: the ones who just want to complete the bare minimum, and the ones who want to seek meaningful opportunities. For the first group, have a conversation about the meaning behind volunteering. Lead them to an epiphany! When I started volunteering, I was caught up in the number of hours, but since then I have been able to think more deeply about my work and what it all means – to myself, the organization, and the community.
Question 3: What if it’s just not working out for the volunteer?
Helen’s Observation: They tell you networking is the most important skill these days, and it can really be beneficial for your volunteers. From the application and interview, you will know what volunteer’s goals are, or why they applied for your organization. Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t end up working out. One volunteer manager shared that she had many interested volunteers but no place for them because the organization is centred around heavy conversations concerning death. If you know another organization that could use an enthusiastic volunteer, being that connection could help make a perfect match.
Need more help? We’ve got you covered! This post only scraps the surface of ways to better engage youth in volunteering with your organization. If you are looking for some solid advice and next steps, we would highly recommend booking a Youth Audit, where our Auditors go into detail on the topics that are involved with youth in volunteers, such as selection and training, communication, benefits and perks, and promotions and advertising!
Helen Lin is a grade 10 students at TOPS - Marc Garneau Collegiate and she is a Youth Auditor at Volunteer Toronto. She started formally volunteering at age 12, and hasn't stopped her community involvement since. Helen has also volunteered at SickKids Foundation, TEDxYouth@Toronto, Ladies Learning Code, and Baycrest Hospital. Her passions include gender rights, sustainable development, global health, social innovation, engineering, and entrepreneurship."
Posted By Kasandra James,
July 7, 2016
Updated: July 6, 2016
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Building connections between volunteers is a great way to foster better engagement. This empowers volunteers to develop relationships that continue even when they stop volunteering.
To start building your volunteer community, try: - Discovering the motivations for volunteering and aligning volunteers around shared goals
- Sharing volunteer experiences and stories, including quotes, photos and videos from volunteers and clients
- Bringing in community animators to bring your spaces to life
- Centring the volunteer’s impact in everything they do
Online Communities You can use a social media or instant message tool to help you build your community virtually. This can allow volunteers to connect with each other, share ideas, and build their relationships. A volunteer-specific newsletter can let volunteers know what’s happening and create spaces for volunteers to contribute and share.
During On-Site Shifts Set aside a space for volunteer communication, like a whiteboard or post-it wall. Offer optional learning and gathering sessions for volunteers, and opportunities for volunteers to connect with people from different programs. If you’re able, provide a shared space for volunteers (and staff) to gather on breaks and build relationships.
Between Shifts Offer training that is both role-related and helps with volunteer’s own development goals. Host appreciation events for a variety of recognition preferences, including those where volunteers can bring friends or family. If possible, provide discounts or free admission to partner events, encouraging volunteers to attend together.
These tips are just the start, and it’s important to learn from volunteers around how they want to connect and build community.
Posted By Kasandra James, Subscriptions Coordinator,
April 7, 2016
Updated: April 6, 2016
As Volunteer Toronto’s Subscriptions Coordinator, Kasandra James is the first point of contact for non-profits looking for support. She facilitates monthly Subscriber Circles - discussion groups for managers and coordinators of volunteers, contributes to our Sector Space newsletter and social media communications, and makes sure our subscriptions package continues to help non-profit organizations build capacity through volunteer involvement.
Posted By Sammy Feilchenfeld,
February 25, 2016
Updated: February 25, 2016
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Every year, you might find it easy to share the number of volunteers your organization engages, or how many hours these volunteers gave. However, these numbers don’t tell the full story of the impact your volunteers are making. You may not even realize it, but you might have a wealth of data already at your fingertips to help you communicate the real impact of volunteers! Here are a few steps to get you there:
Step 1: Get to Know Your Volunteers Whether you have volunteers providing direct service to clients, or people sharing time helping with data entry and donor communications, your volunteers are making a difference across the organization. This also includes your Board of Directors, a vital volunteer role that every non-profit and charity must rely upon. To share everyone’s impact, get to know all of your volunteers and encourage your manager, senior leadership and other staff to build these relationships as well.
Step 2: Collect the Data You Have Alongside volunteer hours and shifts, look for program-specific data. Think of things like how many meals volunteers delivered in a specific time period, the number of clients assisted, or the amount of funds raised. Your organization may be tracking this information in different places, so it’s good to collect all the important data that shows what your volunteers actually did while volunteering.
Step 3: Evaluate to Discover the Data You Don’t Have You may not have all the data you need, so a program evaluation could be helpful. For instance, you could ask program participants or clients a question about their health, wellbeing, knowledge or some area before they get support from volunteers, then ask the same question again afterward. If the response changed, you now have an “impact measurement” to show what the volunteers did.
Here's an example for a Friendly Visiting program, where volunteers meet with clients in their homes once per week to provide social interaction:
- When a client joins the program, they fill out a short survey. One of the questions asks how much they agree or disagree to the statement “I feel socially isolated” on a scale.
- Let’s say the client answered “strongly agree”, meaning they felt very socially isolated.
- After a month or a few months of volunteer visits, the client is asked the same questions.
This time, the client said “disagree”, meaning they no longer feel the same degree of social isolation. The organization can now measurably share that the volunteer made an impact!
Step 4: Change the Reporting Narrative As you collect more data, you’ll find ways to go beyond basic volunteer numbers to show staff, leadership and your community the impact volunteers are making. Share a story or impact measurement in team meetings and newsletters, highlight volunteer impact across your communication channels, and consider going beyond a single page in Annual Report to a greater celebration of volunteer impact.
Posted By Sammy Feilchenfeld,
February 23, 2016
Updated: February 23, 2016
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
When we review volunteer role postings on our website, we sometimes notice volunteer managers asking for “fluency in English” among the requirements. You may not realize it, but asking for “fluency” could shut the door on a huge pool of potential applicants with a lot to offer.
That’s because being “fluent” in a language is not an easy thing to quantify. Many people may feel they don’t have perfect mastery of the language, even if it’s their first or only language. There are also potential volunteers who may be looking to improve their English, and they might already have the level of English proficiency you’re looking for. Although some roles may need “complete” fluency, most can be accomplished with varying levels of language skills. Changing your approach to asking for language skill can help make your volunteer community more accessible.
Start by asking yourself: - What will the volunteer in this role be doing? What are their specific tasks? - How much communication is needed as part of the role? How will this communication happen? (In-person, online, over the phone, in writing, etc.) - How much communication will be spontaneous (such as clients with possible questions) or prepared in advance (such as leading a practiced presentation)?
What jargon or technical language will this volunteer need to know? How much should they already know and how much will you train them?
Once you’ve considered these questions, update your position descriptions based on the specific skills you need. For example:
If a front desk will be greeting clients and helping them feel welcome, say that the volunteer “must have good conversation skills and a friendly approach”.
If a communications assistant volunteer will be writing blog posts or articles, say that the volunteer “must be able to write and proofread clear, concise and engaging content”.
If an outreach volunteer will be doing group presentations, say that the volunteer “must be comfortable with public speaking and be able to clearly explain our services to a group”.
You may even discover that some of your positions don’t have specific language requirements after all! Don’t forget to also write your position description in the clearest possible language to ensure volunteers will understand. A tool like Hemingway Editor can help, letting you know how easy or difficult your position description is to read.
Not only is being specific and direct about the real requirements of the position a fairer and more inclusive way to recruit, but it will also broaden your applicant pool and help you find the best volunteer for the role.
One of the common questions Volunteer Toronto gets from volunteer managers is “How do I get my colleagues, senior leadership and others to buy-in to volunteer engagement?” A lot of volunteer managers are a team of one, leading or supporting a large and essential volunteer engagement approach. This means that others in the organization need to show support and sometimes supervise volunteers. While you might face some resistance to supporting volunteer engagement, it’s important to help other see the value of volunteers. Here are some helpful responses to the most common statements that staff and senior leadership might use when it comes to volunteer engagement.
“It’s more trouble than it’s worth” Volunteers bring great benefits to: - The organization by increasing the efforts, skills & perspectives contributing toward achieving your mission. - The community by changing the quality and types of services you provide. - The volunteers by providing valuable experience, skills and community. - The staff by providing opportunities to practice supervision and management skills along with additional resources available to their area of work.
“I don’t want someone else to do my job.” Volunteers shouldn’t be brought in to do the same work as paid program staff. They should support that work by adding value for clients & the organization. When appropriate, staff can help identify volunteer roles based on needs.
“I don’t know how to work with volunteers.” You may need to provide or find training for staff on some elements of volunteer management, but the added benefit is that this training will give staff a better understanding of the value of volunteer engagement.
“I don’t have the time.” Staff shouldn’t supervise volunteers unless it’s part of their job description. Senior leadership should also provide support to these staff to develop management skills and recognize their contribution.
“We don’t really need volunteers.” Remember your organization’s mission – if the strategic and work plans include volunteers to achieve your goals, then the benefits are clear and volunteers should be brought on board!
It may be difficult to get staff to buy-in to volunteer involvement – being prepared with answers to their comments can be a great start. If you really want to get a head start on getting staff ready for volunteers, check out Volunteer Toronto’s Custom Training. Our knowledgeable and dedicated trainers will come to your space to provide training on the topics you need.
Posted By Sammy Feilchenfeld,
December 8, 2015
Updated: December 7, 2015
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Orientation and training are important for all volunteers to perform their duties effectively and safely. Providing good training helps volunteers make an impact right away. It’s important to remember that everyone learns differently, and the same format of training may not work the same for each volunteer.
If you want to make sure you’re providing effective orientation and training for your volunteers, take note of these helpful tips:
Keep Training Practical Hands-on, practical approaches to learning will help you bring training to life. Use discussions, role play, scenarios and critical inquiry activities to empower your volunteers to learn by doing.
Cater to Different Learning Approaches Some volunteers may prefer visuals to help them learn, while others may prefer to listen. Learning approaches change throughout the day – so ask your volunteers how they like to learn to provide the training possible!
Connect to Personal Experiences Learning happens best when people can apply new knowledge to their own experiences. Give opportunities for new volunteers to discuss and share perspectives, and for existing volunteers to provide their own experiences.
Think about Motivations Every volunteer will be drawn to your organization for their own reasons. A lot of these motivations to volunteer can overlap, and you can use these in your training. If volunteers are looking for social opportunities, for instance, give plenty of chances to connect in learning.
Anticipate Needs Volunteers may be more engaged knowing there’s food on the way, or refreshments available. Others may want multiple breaks to stretch, move around, or even socialize. Think about the needs of your volunteers to provide the best learning experience.
Provide Reminders It won’t be possible for volunteers to remember everything you teach them. Provide reminders in the form of follow-up emails or messages, additional resources, and refresher training to keep learning front of mind.
These tips can help you develop and deliver volunteer training that will keep volunteers focused and ready to make an impact.
In the lead-up to International Volunteer Managers Day on November 5th, we decided to help the novices in the field with a little advice from those who remember what it's like to be new at Volunteer Management.
Check out our final installment with advice from Abha Govil, Coordinator, Volunteer Services at Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities.
What advice would you give? Write your thoughts in the comments section below.
While it can feel counterintuitive to dismiss or fire a volunteer, it’s an important and formal part of the engagement process. When there’s a volunteer performance or conduct issue, you want to take steps to provide feedback, suggest solutions and continuously follow up. When an issue becomes insurmountable, dismissal is the only path forward. Here are a few important considerations when planning for dismissal:
Focus on Prevention Ensure volunteers have a clear understanding of their expectations and responsibilities. This should come alongside effective onboarding and training, including ongoing training to refresh volunteers on their duties and boundaries. While not every volunteer can be supervised regularly, you want to have processes in place to stay up to date on volunteer activities. This can help you prevent issues from worsening.
Understand the Cause If there is an issue, it’s important to understand the underlying cause. There may be a disconnect between the volunteer’s expectation of what they should be doing in the role, or maybe they don’t feel properly equipped to fulfill the duties. Also consider how a volunteer’s personal life may impact their ability to perform the role. Ask volunteers if they know what they did wrong and if there’s anything impeding their ability to succeed.
Document the Plan When you talk to a volunteer about an issue, make sure you focus on why the issue is a problem for the volunteer, client or organization. Also, be specific about changes you want to see. Then, write down that the conversation took place, and follow up with volunteers regularly. If they’re not able to make changes or improve, you have a clear path forward.
Consider the Alternatives In a lot of cases, a volunteer may leave on their own, but they need the encouragement to know this is alright. Offer time off so a volunteer can deal with any personal matters, and keep in mind that they may not come back. Look at different roles or formats that could be a better fit, or refer them to another organization or program if appropriate.
Follow the Dismissal Procedure You must have a dismissal policyBEFORE you dismiss the volunteer. This policy will clearly lay out the grounds for dismissal and the procedure for dismissal. For example, you may have a two-warning approach. Or you may determine that certain behaviour, conduct or performance leads to immediate dismissal. In any situation, follow this process exactly and document everything. This will include a formal letter to the volunteer informing them of dismissal.
While it can be hard, it is acceptable and appropriate to dismiss volunteers. It’s a real part of volunteer engagement and can’t be left as an afterthought!
What do you think? To get in on the discussion, join the next Subscriber Circle, where we will be discussing Volunteer Orientation.
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As Volunteer Toronto’s Subscriptions Coordinator, Kasandra James is the first point of contact for non-profits looking for support. 
